Out of the Storm
by ursweetheartless
Summary: It wasn't raining yet in east city, but Mustang knew the rain was coming, and he knew it would be a big storm. RoyxEd with fluff and angst
1. Chapter 1

Title: Out of the Storm (ch1)

Author: ursweetheartles (me!)

Rating: PG here

Warnings: possible OOC and some weirdness. also unbeta'd as my beta has left for Romania and who knows when she'll be back...

X

"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything."

-Yamamoto Tsunetomo

X

It wasn't raining yet in east city, but Mustang knew the rain was coming, and he knew it would be a big storm. He could taste the thickness in the air that proceeded heavy rain, he could even hear the thunder in the distance. He had never really enjoyed the rain, in fact he would say he disliked it, especially the kind of harsh and lasting downpours that happened during this time of year, in the spring. He _was_ a fire alchemist after all, and what made fire alchemy more useless than a large degree of dampness? nothing, and i mean _nothing_ burned well wet, let alone soaked through. But there wasn't much to do about it, the rains of spring happened whether or not he condoned them so he usually tried to make the best of the situation. Making the best of the situation here meant he didn't get out of bed.

He'd called in sick that day, citing a vague pain in his head and some nausea. Hawkeye had been understanding. He was sure she didn't _really_ believe him but she hadn't pushed the matter, so he was grateful. Now he sat wrapped up in his sheets and blankets staring out his bedroom window at the city skyline, watching the storm clouds slowly thicken above the city, dark and pendulous, heavy with water hidden inside.

He hunched over himself, pulling his knees to his chest, and rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes. Sometimes he could swear he was solar powered because when days like this rolled around, with the sun held captive behind the somber screen of cloud, he felt so tired and helpless. His energy and ambition were drained away, leaving him stalled in one place instead of moving forwards. It left a hole in his being where his drive to succeed normally dwelt. As nature abhors a vacuum, that hole always filled up with doubts and regrets, the memories of the suns which were his cross to bear and his alone.

It was almost too much at once for him to get up and fix food for himself, but eventually hunger one out and he searched the ground below him for some semblance of clothing, slipping into loose lounge pants and soft slippers. His hair was a mess and he didn't care. he knew he looked like hell warmed over but he hadn't the energy to do anything about it but hate himself. That, it seemed, took no effort at all.

X

He was sitting on the couch, in front of the low flame of the fireplace staring into the crackling blaze when the phone rang. He had been trying to ignore the first drops falling, but he could still hear them tapping lightly against the windows. The ringing gave him a start but he tried to ignore that too. he hoped that if he didn't answer it maybe whoever it was would go away. No such luck though, so after letting it ring a few more times he snatched from its cradle on the sideboard, stalking back to his couch before answering it.

"Mustang" he said quietly, trying to keep a level note in his voice. The responding words were familiar, yet firm. he recognized it as Riza.

"Colonel, im sending someone over to your house." She spoke evenly, ignoring his sigh at this turn of events, she continued "There are some papers that i need you to sign, and a field report that needs your approval. He should be there in ten minutes or so." She paused, as he muttered something along the lines of okay whatever, then, in a slightly softer tone, "And if there's anything you need, Mustang, im sure he'll be glad to help you out."

He hung up the phone none too carefully. Mustang had lived alone for a very long time, he was used to the solitude, he had started to enjoy it immensely. He never really brought anyone else to his small townhouse, not the women he courted not the friends he drank and joked with, not even Huges, who he trusted more than anyone else. He just _didn't do it_. He disliked the idea of someone else coming here, it was like and invasion of his privacy. and on top of that, he would have to find a shirt. Could his day get any worse?

X

Edward Elric shifted the leather satchel on his shoudler and kicked rock on the path in front of him a little too hard, causing it to sail quite a ways into the air and hit a tree in front of him, startling several birds from the branches. It had been a bit compulsive of him to take this brief assignment. Him and his brother had gotten back from their last mission only hours before, and Ed had showed up at the office ready to present his report to the Colonel like always, but the man wasn't in the office. Riza told him he was out sick, but ed could tell she didn't quite believe it. _Bastard_, he thought, kicking anther rock absently.

Hawkeye had taken his report, telling him she would send it over to the Colonel's house with someone in a bit, there were some other things the man needed to look over as well, and this might as well add to the pile. Edward had tried to ignore the small bead of dissapointment in his chest. Yeah, he always fought with the Colonel, him yelling and swearing the older man smirking and quipping, so smooth and dignified. But Edward knew the bastard really cared for him and his brother. He kept helping them, kept pushing them forwards, pushing them to go forwards, even if he did push their buttons often enough.

The truth was, somewhere along the line, Edward had started to really care for the son of a bitch. he blushed to think about it, knowing it was only an adolecent crush on a superior officer, someone caring and supportive but still strong and smart. He really did enjoy seeing the Colonel when he returned from missions now, the ritual making it more like returning home than reporting back to base. But it had still been impulsive for him to volunteer to take the things over, even if he had nothing better to do with the afternoon. Now he just felt flustered, knowing he had no idea what to say to Mustang when he got to the man's house. He'd never been anywhere close to the man's house before.

But at leat it was still raining, warm and wet, a light sprinkle nothing more. But he knew it would get heavier, he could feel the storm coming. Edward loved storms, the thunder, the lightning, the energy, the rain, it all came together and it created such a stir in the world around it. These spring storms changed everything they touched, making way for the new growth of the season by sweeping away the dirt and sediment of the winter, waking up the world around them. Besides, the rain always made him feel better.

He certainly needed that push at the moment, when he stopped dead still at the gate at the end of a short brick walkway leading to a normal looking front door. Mustang's house. Edward knew he should just blow past that gate, up that walk and through that door. If it was anyne elses door he would do just that. but here something stopped him, and he just stared. So Edward stood at the end of the walk in the rain, ignoring the nervous creature crawling in his belly. It was a good feeling, the droplets hitting the flesh of his face and rolling down, tickling slightly, to drip off his jaw and roll further. Edward closed his eyes and focused on the rain.

X

Mustang gorwled impatiently, seeing the sun almost touch the horizon. Whoever it was that Hawkeye had sent over must have gotten lost or something, they really should be here by now. He had thrown on an unbuttoned uniform shirt and had been waiting in the front hall for almost half an hour for this clown. All Roy wanted to do was go back to bed. Screw it, he thought, he'd just scribble a note and tape it to the door. _I have stepped out for the moment. Leave the papers in the mailbox. Mustang._ at least this way he could go back to his sulking in peace.

Now there were many things that could have met his gaze when he opened the door that would have suprised him, but if asked to list things he'd never expect to see there a dripping silent Edward Elric would not even have touched his mind. But that is exactly the vision which stood there, at the end of his walk. His hands at his sides, eyes closed, face tilted upwards, golden hair stuk to the sides of his face, and a content smile pasted across his lips.

It was an almost unmatchably erotic sight to say the least, but Roy tried to push _those_ thoughts out of his mind for now, struggling to figure out _why_ there was a soaking blonde in the rain in front of his house. He came up a blank.

"Fullmetal?" He barked, a little harsher than he ment, the boy jumped, eyes popped open, he blushed through the water rolling down his face. "may i ask why you are standing in the rain in front of my house?"

The boy frowned, still blushing, and mumbled something about _liking_ the rain, and having something for him from Hawkeye. Roy sighed, he should have guessed. He hadn't thought the boy would be back from his mission so soon, and it hadn't even crossed his mind that it would be _him_ bringing the papers over.

"Well then don't just stand there like an imbisile, come inside before you get even more wet. Its _raining_ out!"

The blonde frowned, looking much like a hurt child, but came forward anyways, mumbling about how he was already wet, he wasn't going to get _more_ wet, and anyways, he was enjoying his rain. But still he came inside, squeazing the excess moisture out of his braid on the doorstep before coming inside to drip hopelessly on the tile floor of Mustang's front hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Out of the Storm (ch2)

Author: ursweetheartles (me!)

Rating: i'd put it at R

Warnings: Shonen-Ai/Yaoi, RoyxEd, possible OOC and some weirdness. still unbetta'd, so if you see something horrible. let me know.

a/n: there was originaly a citrusy scene at the end of this chapter but i couldn't get it right enough to feel okay with putting it in, and without a betta its proving difficult to tune. that will come with time though, foundations year is slowly killing me.

It took a while for it to fully register with Edward, what exactly he was doing and where exactly he was doing it. He was dripping wet and shivering in the front hall of Roy Mustang's townhouse. For some strange reason this became the most terrifying place in the whole world that he could be at that moment, and it didn't make it much better when he realized that the man himself, who had disappeared up the stairs a minute ago, had reappeared once more, leaning against a door frame and staring at his with an amused glint in his eye.

"What are you staring at, _Bastard_!" he growled, falling back onto habit.

"Oh, nothing" Mustang let a smirk spread across his face, turning the towel he held over in his hands, "Just wondering when exactly you were going to stop dripping on my floor and get to the point." The blonde growled and snatched the offered towel. He exchanged it for the leather satchel he was carrying and proceeded to run the towel roughly over his face before wrapping it around his body, trying to blot the excess moisture out of his clothing.

The colonel took the bag and turned, heading into the kitchen with it, hoping the boy would follow. He figured this was the safest place for a soggy Fullmetal alchemist in the house. Mustang sat down, focussing on the papers now in front of him. They were a little damp around the edges, but they were mostly fine. It was the usual assortment of report and forms for him to look over and sign. He sighed, there really was no way to escape the paperwork, barring death or dismemberment.

X

Edward sat on the bottom stair in the front hall, damp and cold. He'd taken off both of his jackets in his quest to get dry, and wrapped himself in the towel. That hadn't been much better though, as it wasn't exactly still dry either. He wasn't quite sure what to do though, the Colonel had disappeared into the house with the papers, and he'd just stood there like an idiot for long enough that it seemed stupid to follow at this point. So he'd sat down here, it had seemed logically the best thing to do. Besides, he was tired from the damn mission he'd just gotten back from. Maybe it would have been the best idea to just give the satchel over to Mustang and leave, go home, go to bed. Oh well, when Mustang got back he'd tell him. But for right now...

X

It had taken Mustang much less time than he'd thought to finish dealing with everything in the pile, including Fullmetal's own handwritten report. Next time he saw the boy he would have to inform him of the invention of the typewriter, then maybe his reports would be consistently _legible_. _Speaking of the boy, where did he get off to?_ Mustang hadn't seen him since the front hall, and that had been at least an hour ago. _Maybe he left, and went home. That _would_ make a lot of sense, especially when he's that wet._ Roy stood, gathering the papers together again and putting them back in the bag before looking for the blonde.

It didn't take him long to find him either, he had fallen asleep on the stairs, damp towel falling off of him displaying bare shoulders underneath the tank he wore: one sandy flesh the other an echo of humanity in cold metal. It wasn't a sight the colonel got to see often, Edward kept his automail covered pretty much all of the time. It was almost beautiful really.

Mustang moved closer, sitting down next to the sleeping form. He couldn't resist reaching out to touch the sleeping blonde's cheek with two fingers, soft enough to be a whisper against the skin, tracing the line of his jaw, down the tendons of his neck to his smooth collarbone. He looked so peaceful, still slightly damp from the rain that Mustang could still hear falling outside. It made the man smile to see him like this, without the usual calculating gaze or scowl.

He saw the boy stir, and open his eyes. He pulled back his hand quickly from the boy's chest, embarrassed to be caught in such a position. The golden eyes were still clouded in sleep, but the boy shifted positions, stretching his arms and yawning.

"Colonel?" he said groggily, not remembering where he was exactly. His hand raised to his chest, lightly touching the spot that Mustang's fingers last where, his face showing slight confusion. Mustang just smiled, a slight blush on his face, and raised his eyes to look into Edward's.

"You're still pretty damp, aren't you cold out here? I thought you'd gone home when I finished my work and you weren't in the kitchen." The boy shifted again, pulling the towel up over his shoulders again. It _was_ kind of cold, and he _was _still pretty damp. The blonde yawned once again,

"I was gonna'," His voice still a bit sleepy, "but i was ... i was tired. i was waiting for you to come back." He pulled the towel closer to him. "But im still all damp. it_ is_ cold." His voice sounded discouraged then, but he didn't exactly make a move to get up and leave. Roy sighed.

"Well, i can't let you just sit there Fullmetal. Lets get you up, maybe get you a hot shower and some dry clothes." Edward let himself get hauled to his feet gently, but looked a little perplexed at Roy's actions, "Really now, i can't have you getting sick now, it would be all my fault and Riza would never let me hear the end of it." He stopped then and smiled at the boy, "Besides, it'll warm you up." The boy stood dazedly still for one moment longer, staring at the Colonel with tired eyes before letting himself be lead up the stairs by his arm.

X

The hot shower _had_ warmed Edward up, but it had also had the side effect of waking him up. When his brain was no longer foggy with sleep the familiar nervousness returned to him threefold. No only was he in Mustang's house right now, he was _naked_ in Mustang's house in the _middle of the night_. It was so close to what he pictured when he closed his eyes, what he wished he could have from the dark haired colonel. But it was also worlds away. Mustang had merely been friendly to invite him to dry off, trying to look out for his subordinates like he always did. Edward knew he was just a tool to the man, an important tool he needed to keep in tip top shape for it to say as shiny and functional as he needed it to stay.

But as he wiped the steam from the mirror above the sink, he couldn't help but wonder, letting his fingertips trail up to the point where Mustang's had been when he'd woken up. He could feel the ghost of the man's hands there still, such was the force with which he wished they were still there, that they would go further this time. But he knew that was a silly thought. Colonel Mustang was a lady's man, he had a lady in every port and could get any girl's phone number without even speaking. Why would someone who could have that much want anyone with this little to offer?

_It's just a crush_ the mantra was repeated in his head, _It's just a silly crush, I'll get over it, I'll survive._ But until then what harm could come of standing close to the man, right? The knock on the door startled Ed, almost making him drop the towel he held wrapped around his waist.

"Fullmetal, are you okay? You should be careful not to fall asleep in the shower, you might slip down the drain." Edward gritted his teeth and slammed the door open, a tirade about the short joke burning on the tip of his tongue, though he never made it past "WHO ARE YOU CALLING..." before he trailed off in shock. Mustang was leaning against the wall outside the door, arms crossed across his bare chest, wearing only a pair of baggy black cotton pants, worn soft with age. His hair was scruffy, falling into his eyes, his lips pressed into an amused smirk. The man looked somewhere between beautiful and so hot he could burst into flames, and Edward could not tear his eyes away. His desire was becoming thick enough to taste on his tongue.

"You might wanna close your mouth before your brain crawls out" The man drawled, breaking the spell. Their eyes locked though, and the boy found himself unable to speak for a minute.

"You bastard" He said finally, not suite sure where he had been going with that, but falling back onto familiar territory. The man being a bastard was something Fullmetal was used to, something he could deal with, something that allowed him to twist his passion and label it hate. The smirk on Mustang's face didn't fade as he shifted slowly towards the blonde. He could see something like fear in the blonde's eyes, something he couldn't quite place. EDward sucked in a breath and held it, the colonel's face getting so close, only inches between them.

"What's wrong, Fullmetal?" The boy was obviously nervous, he never stopped blinking, pressing his head back against the door frame, "Don't you trust me? Relax, im not going to bite you." There foreheads were so close to touching it was maddening, and all Edward could think about were the man's lips, so close to him that he could stick out his tongue and feel the flesh. From here he could sense the _warmth_ of the older alchemist's body, he could smell the colonel, sulphur and smoke, with a note of spice. Edward wet his lips with a dart of his tongue. He was scared, as scared as he had ever been before. His heart beat hard in his chest and it seemed to want to beat itself right through his ribcage, to somehow fill the expanse of silence that seemed to fall between them. It would be so easy to just reach out and touch Mustang.

It surprised both parties when the blonde worked up the courage to close the distance, planting his lips onto the ones above him tentatively, not sure where it would go. He hadn't thought this through after the initial contact. _Oh god, what do i do now, i have no idea._ He pulled back, eyes wide, half tensing for the emotional explosion he expected from the Colonel at this point. But the man just stood there frozen, still processing what had just occurred. Ed's heart fell, his cheeks got red, and tears started to well in his eyes. he had ruined it, he was sure now. Mustang was frozen in disgust and he would never even look at the blonde again, let alone do anything else. _Gods, that was the biggest mistake i've made in a long time. Why do i keep fucking these things up? Any time im given something important, every time i hold a small chance in my hands i crush it._

Ed slid down the door frame, away from mustang, till he sat hunched on the floor. His tears came freely now so he buried his face in his arms, pulling his knees up to his chin to hide his face. The _last_ thing he needed to do now was give Mustang more ammunition by showing him the weakness he felt now. How could he have been so _stupid_. He didn't know what to really expect from the man now, but he did know what he feared.

The gentle hand on his neck though, that came as a shock. The dark eyes etched with concern that met his own were also not quite what he thought would happen. Mustang was crouched in front of him, trying awkwardly to provide some sort of comfort to the crying boy. When his head bent down to whisper into the boy's hair though, that was where it shifted, Ed throwing himself forwards slightly, Roy wrapping strong arms around him, gathering him up as he wiggled into a sitting position against the wall, positioning the boy so he could hold him in his lap, rubbing his back lightly as the blonde head rested against his chest. Ed had stopped crying, but didn't want the older letting him go. He was content to stay this way forever.

a/n: so this is where the lemony deliciousness would start if i had the help of a good beta, but i don't. le cry anyone who wants to help though, give me a shout, i'd be glad to do writing exchange with someone too... this should come out in not that long anyways, it just takes so much time alone...


End file.
